What would you change in my itinerary

[mjbraun11]

7 day cruise starting July 29 out of Vancouver, BC on NCL.  Travelling with wife and 2 children 16yr (girl) and 18yr (boy).  First time going to Alaska - but it's been a bucket list item for the wife and I forever.  

 

Day 0 - Vancouver

     We are actually going to get to Vancouver a few days before the cruise and do some exploring.  Capilano suspension bridge, Gas Town, Stanley park, etc.

Day 1 - Cruise Inside Passage

Day 2 - Ketchikan in port 7am - 4pm

     Son and I - Eagle Island Sea Kayak

     Wife and daughter - Misty Fjords & Wilderness Explorer

Day 3 - Juneau in port 11am - 9pm

     Whale watching & Mendenhall Glacier photo safari

Day 4 - Skagway in port 8am - 8pm

     White Pass Railway and suspension bridge

Day 5 - Cruise Glacier Bay

Day 6 - Cruise Hubbard Glacier

Day 7 - Seward

 

Looking at the times for each of the excursions, it looks like we'll still have plenty of time to do other exploring while in port.  What do you recommend?

[AKStafford]

What are you doing after you arrive in Seward?

[rkacruiser]

In Juneau, if there is time, a visit to the Alaska State Museum was interesting for me.  It is not far from where the ships dock.  Both Juneau and Ketchikan  are very walkable.  If open when you are there and are so interested, a tour of Alaska's State Capitol is available in Juneau and the cost is the best:  Free!.

[Coral]

I have done Misty Fjords & Wilderness Explorer - it is ok. I would say 70% is similar scenery you see from the ship and 30% is unique. If they were debating between 2 excursions - they may want to re-evalute. It is not a bad excursion, it just isn't great.

[cltcruzer]

A flight tour. Maybe a float plane over Misty Fjords in Ketchikan, or a flight with glacier landing in Juneau or Skagway. Last summer I did a flight tour/glacier landing in Denali, and a float plane in Ketchikan, and the aerial view of Alaska gives you a whole different perspective compared to what you see from land or water. Both flight tours I did were incredible and well worth the $ 

[blazer58]

7 hours ago, Coral said:

I have done Misty Fjords & Wilderness Explorer - it is ok. I would say 70% is similar scenery you see from the ship and 30% is unique. If they were debating between 2 excursions - they may want to re-evalute. It is not a bad excursion, it just isn't great.

I had heard/read others say the same thing, so instead we booked a flight to Traders Cove for a Bear watching excursion

(This Aug is our first trip to Alaska)

Edited February 28, 2019 by blazer58

[bajathree]

8 hours ago, cltcruzer said:

A flight tour. Maybe a float plane over Misty Fjords in Ketchikan, or a flight with glacier landing in Juneau or Skagway. Last summer I did a flight tour/glacier landing in Denali, and a float plane in Ketchikan, and the aerial view of Alaska gives you a whole different perspective compared to what you see from land or water. Both flight tours I did were incredible and well worth the $ 

Totally agree. First Alaska trip in 2012 and did Misty Fiords flight tour.....memories forever. Going back this summer and doing heli glacier landing in Juneau.

[mjbraun11]

After arriving in Seward, we are doing the 7 day land package that NCL offers:  Seward/Homer/Anchorage/Denali/Fairbanks.  Extra excursions don't up up for those until March...so we still have plenty of time to work on those ones...

[mjbraun11]

11 hours ago, cltcruzer said:

A flight tour. Maybe a float plane over Misty Fjords in Ketchikan, or a flight with glacier landing in Juneau or Skagway. Last summer I did a flight tour/glacier landing in Denali, and a float plane in Ketchikan, and the aerial view of Alaska gives you a whole different perspective compared to what you see from land or water. Both flight tours I did were incredible and well worth the $ 

I'm not sure I can talk the wife into doing anything with a float plane....we'll definitely be relooking at this one though.  Much thanks for the insight.

[quack2]

If you're going to end up in Seward, I would seriously consider taking one of the Resurrection Bay boat tours.  This area is absolutely beautiful and I've always had a great variety of wildlife sightings and glacier viewings.  The ones I've taken have been 6-8 hours in length and worth every minute.  There are two providers - Major Marine and Kenai Fjords Tours -- and both are excellent in my experience.  Of all the "excursions" I've taken in Alaska, this has been my favorite. 

[katrina915]

9 hours ago, blazer58 said:

I had heard/read others say the same thing, so instead we booked a flight to Traders Cove for a Bear watching excursion

(This Aug is our first trip to Alaska)

Good choice.  Did this last year and enjoyed it.  Peaceful flight and then BEARS. We did it mid Sept at the very end of the season for Traitor's Cove and given the option of getting a refund.  We went and saw a mom and 2 cubs along with 4 other adults.  I liked that we were on ground level and so close.

[cltcruzer]

3 hours ago, mjbraun11 said:

I'm not sure I can talk the wife into doing anything with a float plane....we'll definitely be relooking at this one though.  Much thanks for the insight.

 

If she's scared... she shouldn't be. I'm kind of scared of heights and small planes, but after the flight, felt stupid for being worried. Really smooth ride and landing... better than a normal airplane. I forget which company we went through, but we got the price half off because of the Tour Saver book. It was a great deal. 

 

I also agree with the post above about Resurrection Bay out of Seward. I did the 6 hour tour through Major Marine and it was great. Tons of wildlife, beautiful scenery, glaciers... probably my favorite part of our 2 weeks in Alaska. 

[Coral]

39 minutes ago, cltcruzer said:

 

If she's scared... she shouldn't be. I'm kind of scared of heights and small planes, but after the flight, felt stupid for being worried. Really smooth ride and landing... better than a normal airplane. I forget which company we went through, but we got the price half off because of the Tour Saver book. It was a great deal. 

 

I also agree with the post above about Resurrection Bay out of Seward. I did the 6 hour tour through Major Marine and it was great. Tons of wildlife, beautiful scenery, glaciers... probably my favorite part of our 2 weeks in Alaska. 

I have to say I felt sick my entire Misty Fjords flight. I have flown in many of small planes and have never felt air sick before (or sea sick before). I don't know if there were bad winds or what but I felt sick. When we landed I asked if others felt the same way and they all nodded. The landing was the best part in that 1) it was cool and 2) couldn't wait to be on water again.

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, cltcruzer said:

If she's scared... she shouldn't be. I'm kind of scared of heights and small planes, but after the flight, felt stupid for being worried. Really smooth ride and landing... better than a normal airplane. 

 

I agree.  I admit that I had to "screw up my courage" when I took my first float plane trip, but, afterwards, I am surely glad that I did!  Doing another such flight a couple of years ago was "a piece of cake".
 

[cabland]

I would strongly consider a helicopter ride to a glacier in either Juneau or Skagway.  Another great excursion is the Tracy Arm Fjord from Juneau - great but will burn a lot of time there if your ship doesn't offer the opportunity to hop onto the excursion "on the way" to Juneau (or HAL excursion did).  I was nervous I would be motion sick on the helicopter, but it was a short flight and very, very smooth.

[donaldsc]

On 2/28/2019 at 7:05 AM, mjbraun11 said:

I'm not sure I can talk the wife into doing anything with a float plane....we'll definitely be relooking at this one though.  Much thanks for the insight.

 

So go w/o her.  Do you have to do everything together.  I have done 3 whole trips (2 photo trips and a trip to South Georgia Island) w/o her as I really wanted to go on them and she just didn't want to go.

 

DON

Edited March 3, 2019 by donaldsc

[donaldsc]

On 2/28/2019 at 8:40 AM, quack2 said:

If you're going to end up in Seward, I would seriously consider taking one of the Resurrection Bay boat tours.  This area is absolutely beautiful and I've always had a great variety of wildlife sightings and glacier viewings.  The ones I've taken have been 6-8 hours in length and worth every minute.  There are two providers - Major Marine and Kenai Fjords Tours -- and both are excellent in my experience.  Of all the "excursions" I've taken in Alaska, this has been my favorite. 

 

+1 on the boat tour.  I have done the 8 hour cruise twice.  One time we were lucky enough to see the largest pod of orcas that the captain had ever seen.  There were maybe 50 of them and they stuck w use for almost an hour.

 

DON

[Budget Queen]

Are you fixed with the  add on mainland tour?   With a family-  it can be far more advantageous going independently with a rental car.  Just be prepared,  there are very few kids that go on these tours.

 

 There are some conflicting point above.   With most of the references above about Kenai Fjords it is NOT about the Bay tours-   you have to get out of the bay for the longer -  trips,  which offer more wildlife and superior glacier viewing.   Does your tour, have time in Seward?    A very worthwhile port with plenty of options and a shame to miss it.  

 

Flights are NOT for everyone,   but  I would encourage those who desire this excursion to GO.  I've never been an advocate of compromising in Alaska.   Split up.  

[PittsburghNative]

1 hour ago, Budget Queen said:

Flights are NOT for everyone,   but  I would encourage those who desire this excursion to GO.  I've never been an advocate of compromising in Alaska.   Split up.  

 

Agree. As much as I hate it, my mom and I are splitting up in Skagway so I can do a heli/dogsledding tour and she will be doing a dogsledding tour in the forest. My bucket list item is to dogsled on a glacier, and I offered to pay for her to do it, but she refuses to get on a helicopter. We will be doing our own thing for just a couple hours and will be together once the tours are done.